Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that any leader “who fails to perform should be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.”
Speaking at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue in Accra, Ghana, he warned that democracy in Africa “may collapse” if stakeholders do not come together to “rethink and reform” it.
He described “electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa.”
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In a statement, the former president said, “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.”
He added that the electoral system is a problem because “people manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.”
He explained, “If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.”
Jonathan also listed what citizens want from their leaders, stating, “Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
While acknowledging that youth participation in governance is “very encouraging,” Jonathan emphasized that young people “need the wisdom and experience of older people to guide them” in order to succeed.
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The President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, along with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other leaders, called for a “rethink of Africa’s democratic practices.”
Mahama said, “Democracy will not survive if we don’t work for it. We need a reset of democracy and governance to ensure accountability. Anybody who wants to serve must be accountable to the people. Our citizens are tired of corruption, misgovernance, and lack of opportunities.”
Mahama also added, “To renew democracy, we must strengthen institutions, deliver development, and educate our citizens. We must protect the media and civic space. A free press is democracy’s immune system. Democracy dies when citizens lose faith, when leaders abandon integrity, and when institutions succumb to capture. But democracy can be renewed when citizens rise to defend it.”
Olusegun Obasanjo, the event’s chairman, said Africa’s current democratic practice is “unsustainable and must be urgently reformed.”
Other attendees, including Dr. Omar Touray of the ECOWAS Commission and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include “accountability, service, and discipline.”
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